The use and utility of baby cribs has long been established. Typically, baby cribs are used during the infancy stage of a child. During this period, the baby must be kept hygienically clean by changing the mattress coverings at least daily. However, more often than not, two or three mattress covering changes are required daily; especially with new born babies or when the baby is ill.
The most basic problem in changing mattress coverings is that the person making the change must bend over the crib's front railing to reach the mattress and adjust the mattress coverings. Even if the movable front side of the crib is lowered, there still remains a sufficient distance to the mattress that makes the changing of the mattress inconvenient and difficult. Also, the constant reaching can eventually lead to back aches and other recurring ailments.
A search of literature and the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 5,195,193 Magistretti 23 March 1993 5,101,024 Brandschain 7 April 1992 5,054,138 Wesley 8 October 1991 5,038,422 Messina 13 August 1991 ______________________________________
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,193 Magistretti patent discloses a convertible sofa that includes a rectangular supporting frame provided with a feet support structure that rests on the floor. The sofa includes rigid vertical structures forming the back and arms, two pairs of rectilinear guides parallel to each other and that carry the arms on the traverse sides. Between each pair of slides are mounted free-running rollers with horizontal axes capable of supporting and guiding a respective bar-shaped member. The member is freely slidable between the pairs of parallel guides which are integral at their front ends with a longitudinal bar provided with supporting wheels resting on the floor. This design enable two stable positions, one of which corresponds to a single bed position.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,524 Brands chain patent discloses a sofa that is convertible into a platform bed having a transversely extending stationary frame. A left arm assembly, a right arm assembly and a back assembly are attached to the stationary frame. The sofa seat and back cushions are removable from a support surface located above the stationary frame. A plurality of laterally spaced telescoping slide assemblies have their rear ends secured to the stationary frame. Each slide assembly has an elongated rear telescoping member, at least one elongated intermediate telescoping member and an elongated front telescoping member. Additionally, all of the telescoping members have a top wall surface that remains in substantially the same horizontal plane when they are in their retracted position and when they are in their extended position. The cushion support platform assembly stows in a position above the stationary frame and below the seat cushion. The cushion support platform in its extended position has a bottom planar surface that rests on the planar top surface of the telescoping slide assemblies in their extended state.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,138 Wesley patent discloses a crib apparatus that is slidably mounted within a crib mattress cavity. The mattress cavity pivotally mounts a mattress cavity door located at the forward edge of the crib. Upon opening the cavity door, a mattress slide plate is slidably mounted that supports a crib mattress. When the slide plate is slid forward, the mattress can be removed for cleaning and maintenance thereof. The crib apparatus includes heated support cavities for supporting infant food and fluid nursing bottles.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,422 Messina patent discloses a support structure for sofa beds. The structure includes a pull-out raisable auxiliary bed, which has an upper frame carrying support for a mattress. The bed is connected by rods linked as a parallelogram, to two lower bars transverse to the larger dimension of the frame. Blocking structure is also included for the raised position and balancing means for the weight of the frame. The sofa bed is also equipped with a seat-back adjustable in position.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited patents.
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 4,200,941 Gill 6 May 1980 3,608,105 Flatford 28 September 1971 3,327,328 Slivoski 2 April 1965 2,477,231 Bourdon 22 April 1947 ______________________________________